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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cap — a lid
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ball — a great time
  23. content — happy
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com